Margaret Halley's eyes were dim.
"She despaired of my coming and went to Kazmah," she said. "Can you
doubt that that was what she went for?"
"No!" snapped Kerry savagely, "I can't. But do you mean to tell me,
Miss Halley, that Mrs. Irvin couldn't get cocaine anywhere else? I
know for a fact that it's smuggled in regularly, and there's more than
one receiver."
Margaret looked at him strangely.
"I know it, too, Inspector," she said quietly. "Owing to the lack of
enterprise on the part of our British drug-houses, even reputable
chemists are sometimes dependent upon illicit stock from Japan and
America. But do you know that the price of these smuggled drugs has
latterly become so high as to be prohibitive in many cases?"
"I don't. What are you driving at, miss?"
"At this: Somebody had made a corner in contraband drugs. The most
wicked syndicate that ever was formed has got control of the lives of,
it may be, thousands of drug-slaves!"
Kerry's teeth closed with a sharp snap.
"At last," he said, "I see where the smart from the Home office comes
in."
"The Secretary of State has appointed a special independent
commissioner to inquire into this hellish traffic," replied Margaret
quietly. "I am glad to say that I have helped in getting this done by
the representations which I have made to my uncle, Lord Wrexborough.
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